Felanitx is a municipality located in the interior of the Spanish holiday island of Mallorca. Since Felanitx has no direct access to the sea, the tranquil village is overlooked by many tourists as part of their exploration of the holiday island. A visit is worthwhile for anyone interested in historic architecture and a real Mallorcan attitude to life.
In addition, Felanitx is wonderfully quiet and with a bit of luck you will only meet a few other tourists. If you don’t just want to unwind, but also like to enjoy good food and excellent wine, this is the place for you, because Felanitx is not only considered the center of winegrowing in Mallorca, but also has a legendary weekly market where you can taste all kinds of spices.
This is the best way to get to Felanitx
Felanitx may be a little off the beaten track in Mallorca, but it’s still relatively easy to reach. From Palma de Mallorca Airport, you can get to Felanitx in just about 45 minutes with a rental car. If you don’t like to be behind the wheel, you can also take a bus to Felanitx. The correct line is 490 and this regular bus takes about 75 minutes from Palma de Mallorca to Felanitx.
This is a must-see in Felanitx
Felanitx is small and manageable, which is why you can easily reach all the sights on foot. The best way to start in the romantic old town of Felanitx is to simply drift through the narrow streets. You will pass a variety of quaint bars and cafés as well as traditional shops. There is still the small baker and butcher around the corner and many craft businesses can still be found in the old town of the village. Here you can immerse yourself in the original life of the Spanish holiday island. Wine shops offer tasting of local wines plus tapas on every corner. If you are interested in art history and architecture, you should also head for the parish church of Sant Miquel.
The imposing building is considered a landmark of Felanitx. The church was built in several construction phases over a period of more than 400 years and therefore has a wide variety of architectural styles. Visitors can access the interior of the church via a monumental staircase. The foundation of the parish church of Sant Miquel dates back to the 13th century. More recent are the beautifully designed rose windows, which were added to the building only in the 18th century. In front of the huge church building is the Font Santa Margalida. This fountain can also be described as venerable, because it already existed at this point during Roman times. The city center is surrounded by a city wall made of sandstone.
If you are on site on a Sunday, you should definitely visit the weekly market, which takes place every Sunday of the year. Here, the traders from the city and the surrounding area offer fruit and vegetables from their own cultivation as well as meat, fish, tapas and dairy products. Fabrics, clothing and much more are also traded here. The weekly market is easy to find in the town centre.
A trip to the mountain monastery Santuari de Sant Salvador
The mountain monastery Santuari de Sant Salvador is only about three kilometres away from Felanitx. It is located at an altitude of 509 meters on the top of the mountain Puig de Sant Salvador. Even without visiting the monastery itself, the climb is worthwhile, because from here you have a breathtaking view that reaches almost all of Mallorca. From the centre of the village, a well-signposted hiking trail leads to the summit. You can walk for about two hours. The core of the monastery complex is a pilgrimage church. Otherwise, there is a restaurant and picnic areas. And a 35-meter-high statue of Christ can also be found on the Puig de Sant Salvador.
The ruins of the Castell de Santueri
If you would like to take a little trip back to the Middle Ages, you can also visit the Castell de Santueri, which is located eight kilometres from the city centre. If you are sporty, you can travel on foot or with a rental bike. The Castell de Santueri can also be found on the Puig de Sant Salvador, but a few kilometers south of the mountain monastery. So if you want to go on a day trip, you can very well combine both destinations. The Castell de Santueri is located at an altitude of 408 meters and was built in the 14th century as a fortress to protect against pirate incursions. The building, which is now ruinous, is made of limestone and has defensive towers and a protective wall.
With the rental car to the beach
Even though Felanitx itself does not have direct access to the sea, the way to the nearest beach is not far. There are several beaches that are about 14 to 16 kilometers away and can be reached quickly by rental car. If you want, you can of course also cycle to the beach. It is particularly nice to relax in the bay of Cala Ferrera. Cala Ferrera is surrounded by high rock formations, the beach is fine sand, idyllic and very quiet in the low season. In summer, however, it can get crowded, as the catchment area of bathers here is relatively extensive. A little closer to the city is the Plaja de s’Arenal. This beach, which should not be confused with the party mile of the same name, is mostly visited by locals.
